A group of developers, builders and their consultants met privately last week to prepare for the next battle with Orange County over impact fees for road improvements.

Money and a public relations campaign may be key weapons in that battle.

Group members decided Tuesday to start a fund-raising campaign to hire economic experts to assert what the consequences of a high impact fee will be on growth and employment in Orange County.

They also may launch a public relations campaign if Orange County commissioners reject their argument that impact fees should be lower, said several developers who attended the meetings Tuesday at the Home Builders Association of Mid-Florida in Maitland.

''They are going to go to the public and ask them to understand what the issues are,'' said developer Lee Chira, who attended the meeting. ''The key is the fairness.''

The group also discussed an upcoming work session this week between county commissioners and a 25-member advisory committee that has been studying impact fees for 18 months.

Developers and their consultants on the advisory committee have objected strenuously to a county staff proposal to charge high enough fees to raise $63 million in five years to improve 12 county roads.

They plan to ask commissioners this week to consider other funding sources, to change the method of computing the fees, to improve only the roads affected by growth and to consider a dozen other changes.

Some of those attending the private meetings last week were members of the advisory committee. Organizers of the meetings refused to allow an Orlando Sentinel reporter to attend.

County attorney Harry Stewart has told advisory committee members that they are subject to the Florida Government in the Sunshine Law and cannot meet privately to discuss impact fees, but some committee members disagreed.

Stewart said he was concerned someone could challenge the impact fee ordinance on a technicality if there were a violation of the Sunshine Law.

Tom Ross, a lawyer who represents developers and who is one of the committee's most vocal opponents of the impact fee, said the Sunshine Law is not germane to the impact fee issue and disagreed with Stewart that committee members should not meet privately.

Ross attended both impact fee meetings at the Home Builders Association Tuesday. At least two other committee members attended the first organizational meeting and four others attended the second larger gathering that Ross moderated.

John Wright, executive director of the Home Builders Association, said several shopping center developers had asked to hold a meeting at the association's offices and an impact fee subcommittee of the association joined them. The meeting also was attended by union leaders and office developers.

The county impact proposal calls for fees to pay for 52 percent of the road needs caused by growth. Fees would vary according to the land use and the amount of traffic the use generates. Builders of a new home, for example, would pay $1,570, a small office $1,931, and a small retail store $18,516 for each 1,000 square feet.

Orlando plans to charge similar fees.

''People are starting to realize that this thing is for real and they better get off their tail or they'll be out of business,'' Chira said.

Stewart, who was Broward County's attorney when it adopted its impact fees, said the industry's reaction to the impact fee proposal is not unusual.

''It's the same steps that are taken in every jurisdiction that I'm familiar with,'' Stewart said. ''You can't blame them. They are reacting just like everyone else reacts . . . They want to make sure it's not going to hurt them.''